LJUBLJANA - Dr Danilo Turk, Slovenia's former president and UN top job candidate, on Thursday emphasized that the upcoming G20 summit in Hangzhou, China, is crucial to spark global governance reforms and strengthen development.

Turk made this remarks in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

The reforms of the global financial system and IMF continue to be high priorities of G20, Turk said.

But they are not all, he continued, "G20 has an important responsibility in directing global development which means stimulating growth and, very importantly, increasing investment in social development, healthcare, youth employment, etc."

G20 has done some initial work in these areas already, Turk said, but adding that leading economies have the potential and the responsibility to steer global development in the right direction and more can be done.

Turk held that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted last year has offered a historic opportunity.

"SDGs are universal and have to be pursued by developing and developed countries alike," he said.